Philippe Manière, Founder and CEO of Footprint Consultants

As the countdown continues to the French presidential election, official figures paint a gloomy picture of the French economy. So is it "the economy, stupid", as Bill Clinton said when he ran for US president in the 1990s? Can the same be said of the 2012 French presidential election? Philippe Manière, a French economist and CEO of a media consulting company helps us decipher the economic challenges behind the upcoming poll.

He joined FRANCE 24 in 2006 to anchor the morning show and also worked as a reporter on news stories. He has moderated debates at the World Economic Forum in Davos and now hosts The Business Interview.